John Varrasi is a senior staff writer of the American Association of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
He contributed the article to the voice of field science expertsEd & Insights.
Cooper Union in New York City combines engineering and acoustics to create a unique learning environment for deaf and hearing
School children with disabilities
The college installed an interactive light studio at the American Sign Language and English Junior School in New York City.
Studio, including 270-square-
Foot space with wall-Installation numbers
Projection system, working with specially designed computer programs to display entertainment images and graphics on an interactive screen. The pre-
Kindergarten children using Cooper Union interactive lighting studio learn by interacting with mobile images and light pulses-
Although children have hearing disabilities, these displays enable them to truly understand the complexity of the sound.
"We are creating a learning environment for deaf and hearing --
Impaired Children can explore and appreciate the various qualities of music and sound through the interaction of light and vibration, "said Melody Baglione, professor at Cooper's league of scientific and artistic progress, he provided advice and guidance to seven students on the design side of the interactive lighting studio.
"We have developed technologies that enable children to imagine sound. " [
Science as an art: sound, light box and microscope (Op-Ed )]
At the heart of the interactive lighting studio is a series of computer programs designed to stimulate children's curiosity and fun.
One of the items is a virtual fish tank in which images of the fish follow and respond to the movement of children in front of the screen.
The program was written by Baglione's students, which combines the Xbox Kinect sensor with the em> Open Frameworks programming language to detect the contours of mobile children.
The second program uses the sound of a microphone, instrument, or pre-recorded song as input.
When a child stands in front of a target, an integral part of a digital song --
Such as keyboard, percussion or vocals-plays.
When all targets are triggered, the full song is played.
In this way, children can create their own music works by moving their bodies. "Both hearing-
"Children who are damaged and deaf can participate in creating sound input and see the response visually," Baglione said . " She used grants from the American Association of mechanical engineers with her studentsASME)
Start the studio.
"By producing discrete visual responses to different frequencies and sound levels, children begin to understand sound and music in a quantifiable way.
In another project, students from the Cooper Union adapted a wall with images of "talking sunflowers" on the wall, converting sound into light.
The flowers are embedded in the microphone, and depending on the frequency of sound in the room, they trigger lights of different colors.
After exploring several options for converting audio input to visual input, Cooper Union students selected a spectrum analyzer "colorganic spectr" equipped with a microphone and able to run on a standard AA battery
Cooper Union students installed seven organic spectrometer with surface-
Installation welding for 5 people
Voltage capability to light up LED lights.
According to Baglione, the main benefit of these devices is that the analyzer provides full interactivity for children.
Deaf and hearing
Especially the damaged students benefit from the sound designto-
"Lighting devices that use microphones to provide visual feedback," Baglione said . ".
The studio's electronic Firefly wall contains interactive electronic simulations of fireflies, and students can walk around while observing light pulses.
Every Firefly is a self.
Contains a circuit board that flashes synchronously with other nearby Fireflies, a non-verbal communication mode achieved through infrared sensors and other electronic devices.
When the flash of the neighboring Firefly is detected, the voltage on the capacitor suddenly generates a pulse, making the charging cycle of the Firefly closer to the charging cycle of its neighbor.
As the children interact with the electronic fireflies on the wall, play with concentration, arrange and rearrange the fireflies according to the pattern of the flash.
"Interacting with fireflies will entertain children and teach them the appearance of visually interesting patterns and rhythms," Baglione said . ".
"The program encourages children to move and investigate causality.
"The Cooper Union students built more than 60 circuits and introduced children's books related to the topic, which enabled teachers to integrate the curriculum.
Cooper Union's interactive lighting studio makes deaf and listening-
Children with disabilities experience the voice in a unique way and overcome the limitations of physical disability.
But according to Baglione, the studio offers other tangible benefits.
It enables children to experience and appreciate the wonders of science and engineering and may inspire future career paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM ).
Tatyana Polyak, ASME student and early career program director, said: "The powerful STEM components in the interactive light studio make the project suitable for obtaining funding under the ASME diversity action grant program . ".
The studio has also had a direct positive impact on the student designers of the Cooper Union.
"The interactive lighting studio demonstrates the role of technological innovation in helping people with disabilities," Baglione said . ".
"The project provides an opportunity for engineering undergraduate students to improve their technical and professional skills and gives them a broader understanding of the contribution of engineers in improving society.
"Author Note: most members of the design team at Melody Baglione and interactive lighting studios are members of the American Association of Mechanical Engineers.
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